Make a Change Monday: Get Organized!

When I first started Family Friendly Frugality, I knew I wanted to approach frugal living from a very relaxed and welcoming mindset. I wanted to create a blog about frugal living that didn’t leave people  feeling overwhelmed or less than when they walked away.

The main complaint I hear about saving money nowadays is that it is too darn overwhelming to know where to begin. If you have $20,000 in credit card debt, is clipping a few coupons realistically going to make much of an impact to your bottom line? If you are drowning in student loans and house payments, is living within your means even possible?

The answer to all of the above is  yes. While the small things you do might not add up to financial freedom, they do make a big difference. Some of them will chip away at your debt or create more wiggle room in a tight budget. Some of them will simply give you more confidence and a self esteem boost, proving to yourself that you can save money!

So I am starting a Make a Change Monday series where I will simply give you one task to work on for the week. You might already be doing it…so you get to skip that week! If not though, try it out and see if it makes a difference! I’ll keep them small manageable changes that don’t require a lot of effort or learning the drugstore game .

This week’s Make A Change Task:

Get Organized

Here’s the thing, I am not a neat and organized person. However, I know for a fact that when I am more organized, I definitely save more money. The other day I opened my pantry to find spaghetti noodles and when I couldn’t find any, I decided I’d just run to the store. Sounds like a simple fix right?

The problem is, I know for a fact that with strategic shopping, I can get spaghetti noodles for either super cheap or even free! Why should I pay full price?

I knew that there were spaghetti noodles in there, I mean at least I was pretty sure! I had stocked up the last time I found a great price. However, I couldn’t tell you how many were still left and it just seemed easier to spend a bit of money to avoid hunting through the gross mess that had accumulated in my pantry.

Luckily, I immediately recognized the situation and instead of running out and buying more spaghetti noodles I started pulling everything out to reorganize and take inventory.

Not only did we have a bag of spaghetti noodles…we had FOUR. We also had way more spaghetti sauce then I typically keep on hand. Why? Because I wasn’t keeping things organized and I wasn’t aware of my inventory at home.

You know how much I’m going to spend on groceries this week? Around $20. All because I organized my pantry and realized that we have plenty of food and all I really need to buy are fresh veggies, fruits and milk!

A cheap box of spaghetti might not sound like a big deal, but those little bits add up. This also holds true for other household items! Don’t go buy new just because you can’t find old. Instead make the commitment this week to organize something in your life. Maybe it’s your pantry. Maybe it’s your garage. Just get something in order and feel the relief of knowing what you have on hand!

Be sure to check out the previous Make A Change Monday Tasks.

What helps you stay organized? Do you find you save money when you are more organized?